Found Deceased MI - Leah Conner, Avoca in St. Clair County, March 7th, 2021

[TL4S]

Just my own thinking, but if her death looked like a possible homicide, or had familiar hallmarks from other crimes, wouldn't the autopsy be prioritized for sooner? IDK

'Suspicious' death of missing teen remains under investigation in St. Clair County

An autopsy is planned this week, according to Michigan State Police Lt. Lizabeth Rich. A spokesperson for the St. Clair County Medical Examiner said Monday the autopsy was not scheduled.

 

[Hippie1]

I just saw a video of a family member of Leah’s saying their town is small with around 3000 people. Just like Delphi. That’s eerily similar.

And she was in track (Abby and libby were in sports)

 

[kathryann0504]

'Suspicious' death of missing teen remains under investigation in St. Clair County 'Suspicious' death of missing teen remains under investigation in St. Clair County via @detroitnews

 

[Lmustang89]

I live in MI and when I saw pictures of this trail and "high bridge" I immediately thought of Abby and Libby. I don't think they've determined what happened to her yet, but call it suspicious.

I am from MI also. This made me think of April (her killer is in jail) and of Libby and Abbey
http://michiganhistory.leadr.msu.edu/armada-a-town-tragedy/#:~:text=14 year old April Millsap,entire town began to grieve.

 

[minazoe]

any word on a presser yet? taking a while huh? mOO

 

[UnapologeticallyAspie]

Just curious if anyone knows if the Monon Railway used to hook up with the CSX Railway?

MON - Deer Creek High Bridge


In this article/website it says:



Part of the former Monon Railroad's Indy to Chicago "Air Line", this is one of two large bridges of similiar design on this route. Owasco is the other. After abandonment in 1987 rails quickly removed and it has sat silent but intact since..


Facts

Overview

Abandoned deck girder bridge over Deer Creek on Delphi Historic Trail/Monon High Bridge Trail

Location

Delphi, Carroll County, Indiana

Status

Open to pedestrians only

Future prospects

Indiana Landmarks has budgeted $121,000 to repair this bridge. After repair it will be turned over to the township which plans to work with Delphi Historic Trails Association to add this bridge to their trail system that currently stretches to north side approach to bridge.

History

Built ca. 1890's, abandoned in 1987


Railroads

- CSX Railroad (CSX)

- Chicago, Indianapolis, & Louisville Railway (CIL)

- Monon Railroad (MON)

Design

Deck plate girder, with trestle tower supports sitting on concrete and cut limestone block piers. 60 feet high from the creek bed.

Dimensions

Total length: 853.0 ft.

Also called

Monon High Bridge Trail - Deer Creek High Bridge

Approximate latitude, longitude

+40.58901, -86.64266 (decimal degrees)

40°35'20" N, 86°38'34" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

16/530238/4493196 (zone/easting/northing)

Quadrangle map:

Delphi

Inventory number

BH 36766 (Bridgehunter.com ID)


Hopefully this and the link will answer any questions you may have.

 

[Charlot123]

If she jumped off this bridge, that is so so sad. otherwise I am not seeing her on a path with the suicide on the path..it doesn't sound like something we have heard of before.. young woman commits suicide on nature trail.. then again we do have that one woman in Colorado who's car was found near the trail.

I don't know I guess anything is possible but on the face, she just doesn't seem like a suicide...she lives out in the country so covid is not as restricting for this girl...although maybe her school is closed..

sad , sad , sad... so sorry for the family. ;(. moo

I don't know the manner of death, of course, but my question is, how easy would it be to discriminate between jumping off a bridge and being pushed off a bridge? Of course, the police will know, people might leave notes, make statements, prior history, etc.

 

[Wolverbear]

IMO it would be tough to push someone off the Avoca High Bridge (compared to Monon) simply due to it being much more developed in terms of pedestrian safety. It would be nice to see the Monon High Bridge in this same condition on day.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Michigan police investigating 'suspicious' death of teen girl who vanished during a winter walk

“The way she lit up every room she was in is unmatched,” older sister Keely MacDonald said. “I’ll miss her infectious giggle fits and big, toothy smile.”

The 16-year-old Avoca girl was also a singer and songwriter, said her father, Ian MacDonald. She played the ukelele and piano.
-.-.-

“We live in a bubble, we’re out in the county,” another family friend said. “We have a small community of three thousand people that live in the town of Yale. You just don’t think things would ever happen like this.”

 

[Deleted member 102539]

St. Clair County teen found dead remembered for infectious smile as community mourns

(Pics, where Leah has a similarity to Libby, in my eyes.)
-.-.-
Just one day after the tragedy, family friends are wearing blue ribbons to honor Leah - it was her favorite color - and focusing on how she lived rather than how she died.

She had such a beautiful soul and I want everyone to know, I want to scream it to the world," said Kayla Harris, a family friend.

"I feel like people think it's just words that you say because this happened, but I have never seen her not smile, never," said DeGrande.

"She would make you feel very special when she was little, she would give up her toys to another kid to play with," Harris said. "She would rather (have) you be happy. And that's how she was with her sisters, too, and her mom. She would just walk through the kitchen and just hug them and say 'I love you' just because. That is who she was."

 

[Yemelyan]

I don't know the manner of death, of course, but my question is, how easy would it be to discriminate between jumping off a bridge and being pushed off a bridge? Of course, the police will know, people might leave notes, make statements, prior history, etc.

We don't yet know if an actual fall from the bridge was involved, as you say. There are other things to be ruled out. However -

This is just my personal opinion, but if all factors were equal it would be very difficult to look at just gross injuries present at autopsy and determine from that alone whether someone deliberately jumped vs. accidentally fell vs. was deliberately pushed from a bridge with malice. If it truly was unable to be decided, the medical examiner does have the option of ruling a death "undetermined."

However, as you point out there is the whole force of the investigation to back up whatever finding the medical examiner eventually comes to, and that includes interviews with family, teachers, counselors, and friends, perhaps forensic examination of social media/phones, and of course the physical investigation of the scene. How hard would it have been to fall by accident given the actual structure or any safety features thereof? Etc. One example of something at the scene that can give a clue is a measurement of how far away the body was from the structure when found. This can give a hint of whether the person fell straight down or propelled themselves off with force. But even this is not determinative by itself, obviously, and would be considered within the bulk of the rest of the evidence. IMO

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Family remembers teen found dead on Avoca Trail Sunday

She was also a prolific artist and writer who devoured books.

"I just want people to remember the spunky, artistic, wonderful person she was," MacDonald said. "There's a hole in our hearts."

Leah's body was found on the Avoca Trail Sunday morning after she left for a walk at approximately 11:20 a.m. Saturday. When she didn't return, her family reported her missing at about 4:15 p.m., according to the Michigan State Police Lapeer Post.

She ran cross country for Yale High School, her father said. She was an archer and shot at Mid Thumb Bowman in Brown City for a time.

She was a lay reader at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lexington.

Leah loved her four sisters, Ian MacDonald said. Her older sister, Keely MacDonald, said she always had a smile on her face.

She was a dancer at Crazy Moves Dance Studio in Emmett Township. MacDonald described her as a "beautiful and graceful dancer".

-.-.-
The trail was closed Imlay City and Beard roads for much of Sunday. That section of the trail is near Mill Creek.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Anyone with information or knowledge involving this incident is asked to contact the MSP Lapeer Post at (810) 664-2905.

-.-.-
Pic with blonde Leah and her father I. McDonald (he in a scottish kilt).
(We don't know atm, how important these little infos might become.)

 

[evilwise]

Horsing around on high bridges is classic rural teen behavior. Law enforcement's language is wide but it feels like it has that theory at the center of it. Parents reported her missing awfully quickly for the middle of a Saturday. They might have had firm rules about regular check-ins but they also might have been especially concerned about the person or persons she went on her walk with.

 

[news buff]

Horsing around on high bridges is classic rural teen behavior. Law enforcement's language is wide but it feels like it has that theory at the center of it. Parents reported her missing awfully quickly for the middle of a Saturday. They might have had firm rules about regular check-ins but they also might have been especially concerned about the person or persons she went on her walk with.

Horsing around on high bridges is classic rural teen behavior. Law enforcement's language is wide but it feels like it has that theory at the center of it. Parents reported her missing awfully quickly for the middle of a Saturday. They might have had firm rules about regular check-ins but they also might have been especially concerned about the person or persons she went on her walk with.

So she was not alone?

 

[evilwise]

So she was not alone?

Well none of the announcements say that she was alone. It wouldn't be unusual for other minors to be omitted from reporting.

 

[Charlot123]

Family remembers teen found dead on Avoca Trail Sunday

She was also a prolific artist and writer who devoured books.

"I just want people to remember the spunky, artistic, wonderful person she was," MacDonald said. "There's a hole in our hearts."

Leah's body was found on the Avoca Trail Sunday morning after she left for a walk at approximately 11:20 a.m. Saturday. When she didn't return, her family reported her missing at about 4:15 p.m., according to the Michigan State Police Lapeer Post.

She ran cross country for Yale High School, her father said. She was an archer and shot at Mid Thumb Bowman in Brown City for a time.

She was a lay reader at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lexington.

Leah loved her four sisters, Ian MacDonald said. Her older sister, Keely MacDonald, said she always had a smile on her face.

She was a dancer at Crazy Moves Dance Studio in Emmett Township. MacDonald described her as a "beautiful and graceful dancer".

-.-.-
The trail was closed Imlay City and Beard roads for much of Sunday. That section of the trail is near Mill Creek.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

Anyone with information or knowledge involving this incident is asked to contact the MSP Lapeer Post at (810) 664-2905.

-.-.-
Pic with blonde Leah and her father I. McDonald (he in a scottish kilt).
(We don't know atm, how important these little infos might become.)

Such a loss. Poor family.

 

[tarabull]

Isn't there a trail under the bridge (eta: also??? that follows the river) I don't think she necessarily came to the ground below the bridge from off of it...has that been spelled out in reporting??? Please say no...(i hope we have been just assuming...i think...)

 

[news buff]

Well none of the announcements say that she was alone. It wouldn't be unusual for other minors to be omitted from reporting.

No, it doesn't. Maybe omitting their names, but it would change the story being reported.

 

[evilwise]

No, it doesn't. Maybe omitting their names, but it would change the story being reported.

Would it? I didn't read the entirety of every article but it seems to me personally that law enforcement is dancing around some material facts and when it comes to statements from law enforcement during active investigations its key not to fill in the blanks ourselves.

 

[kathryann0504]

State Police: No foul play in case of missing teen found dead in St. Clair County State Police: No foul play in case of missing teen found dead in St. Clair County